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Pursuit Essentials:
Cutting Horse Competition with Sawyer Hennig

Welcome to Pursuit Essentials, a series where we dive into the diverse sports, pastimes, and recreational activities that BFGoodrich drivers passionately pursue. Informed by subject matter experts whose lives are immersed in each pursuit’s world, these guides are meant to serve as introduction and inspiration to learn more about the pursuit at hand and the community that lives, breathes, and builds for it.

 

Sawyer Hennig, Cutting Horse Competitor 

Sawyer was already immersed in the world of cutting horses the day she was born. She grew up on a ranch in Weatherford, Texas — known as the “Horse Cutting Capital of the World” — with parents who participated in the sport. Before she could even walk, Sawyer was riding horses, helping with barn chores, and attending competitions. In many ways, this pursuit was her destiny. But she didn’t always see it that way.

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After competing in cutting horse events as a child, as many young people do, Sawyer took some time to explore other parts of the equestrian world. She tried barrel racing, carried sponsor flags at the National Finals Rodeo, and even worked as a stunt woman on TNT’s Dallas. Later, after turning back to cutting horse competition and giving it her full attention, Sawyer saw huge successes in the sport. Today, she’s a two-time Triple Crown event champion, holding the cutting horse world by the reins.

 

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Sawyer’s Essential Advice

“Keep moving forward is my life motto.” – Sawyer Hennig

Cutting Horse Competition: An Essential History

A modern cutting horse “run” begins when a rider and horse enter an arena containing a herd of cows. On their way into the arena, the horse crosses a line that starts a timer set to two and a half minutes. During those two and a half minutes, horse and rider “work” the herd, attempting to single out and “cut” — one by one — individual cows away from the pack and keep them away. The rider can communicate with the horse using only a hand on the neck and feet in the stirrups. They are judged on their work by the clock and by a panel of adjudicators, who score each run between sixty and eighty points based on the team’s cuts, their ability to control the cows, and the overall style, energy, and attractiveness of the run.

Today, cutting is all about showcasing the rider and horse’s athletic ability. But like many equestrian events, cutting horses began as a daily cowboy task — a particularly challenging one. Back when space was vast and fences were few, driving, controlling, and managing a herd of cattle required many specific skills and maneuvers. Throughout life on a cattle ranch, occasionally, you need to separate one cow from the herd. Maybe it needs medical attention, or sometimes a cow belonging to one rancher would join the herd of another, and need to be cut away in a roundup. Having a cowboy with good “cattle sense” — meaning, a strong idea of how a cow might respond to being cut, and the ability to anticipate what it will do next — was indispensable. Over time, the valued skill set and athletic ability of horse and rider has captured the attention of many worldwide. 

With the development of farm vehicles and other cattle management technology, the necessity of this skill faded on ranches, but the spectacle of the event remained popular. In 1946, 13 cutting horse owners came together to found the National Cutting Horse Association. They set out to formalize the rules and regulations for the sport and began hosting regular events. The NCHA remains the backbone of the sport today.

 

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Cutting Horse Competition: Essential Gear

First and foremost, to compete in this sport, you need a horse. But it must be said: it’s unfair to refer to a cutting horse as ‘gear.’ In cutting, the horse is considered an athlete and in competition, horse and rider work together to anticipate a cow’s behavior, manipulate their movements, lure them into a sense of security, and keep them away from the herd once they are isolated. With the rider as a guide, the horse pulls the cutting task off. They are a team. 

Not unlike race horses, competitive cutting horses are purpose-bred for specific athletic abilities. No matter what kind it is, a horse is always an investment. For this reason, Sawyer mentions her truck and trailer as some of her most essential pieces of gear. 

“Your horse is one of your largest investments, and so we take pride in having a solid truck, trailer, and tires are extremely important because you want to make sure that your investment is safe and protected. Going from point A to point B, I don't want to have to ever worry about how my horse is doing, how they're getting there, and how safe they are.” – Sawyer Hennig

In addition to a horse, truck, tires, and trailer, cutting horse competition requires a western-style saddle, a saddle pad, iconoclast splint boots to protect the horse’s legs, boots with spurs, chaps, a hat, and per the rules, a button up shirt with a collar.

 

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Cutting Horse Competition: Essential Skills

“Studying” - The first choice a competitor must make is which cow they want to cut from the herd. This choice isn’t made on the spot. At the beginning of a competition, riders draw numbers that determine their placement in each competitive set. Once they know the order, they walk through the herd and “study” the cows. Keeping their placement in order in mind, competitors consider the animals' ages, sizes, herd dynamics, and general vibes. It is unwise to try to cut an animal that a competitor has already cut before you cut, but you also don’t know who will go for which cow. This adds a dynamic to studying where you map out many if, then scenarios involving fewer choices as the rounds go on. 

Cow Sense - Sawyer also referred to this as “reading the animal.” Being able to understand and anticipate how a cow will react to different moves is essential to successfully cutting them off from the herd they so badly want to stay within. 

Horsemanship - You need to be an advanced rider to cut. It requires very quick, nimble movements from the horse, and a rider with the experience and core strength to stay in the saddle while remaining in control, in constant communication with the horse, and focused with their head in the game.

Focus - It’s one of the first things you notice when you see Sawyer compete. She enters a state of complete and total focus. What fans in the stands? Her eyes stay laser-focused on the task at hand: cutting her chosen cow. She reports how this focus gets tighter and tighter as the competition day unfolds, crescendoing when she finally enters the arena. 

Resilience - Cutting horse competition is both a timed and judged event, with a whole herd of variables milling about the arena with you. Your success or failure is just as much in the hands of a herd of cows as it is in yours. Failure happens. A cow may smoke you. Being able to dust yourself off, try as many times as it takes, and keep your eyes on your goals is paramount to making it in this sport.

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Cutting Horse Competition: Essential Events

The cutting horse industry has no off-season, and you can compete as much or as little as you like. Events are split into two categories, based on the horses who are competing. Aged events are for horses aged 3-6, and Weekend events are for horses of all ages. Due to the volatility and strength of younger horses, aged events are considered more challenging and come with higher winner’s prizes. Much like in racing, in the aged event season, three big events make up the triple crown, all of which are held at the Will Rogers Coliseum in Fort Worth, Texas. 

Futurity - Occurring each winter in November/December, Futurity is the first jewel in the cutting horse triple crown. It’s an event specifically for three-year-old horses, where new horses debut, and as a result, it’s a great opportunity to scope out young horse talent. 

Super Stakes - Each spring in March/April is the second jewel in the triple crown, Super Stakes. This event is for four, five, and six-year-old horses. 

Summer Spectacular - The third jewel in the triple crown is the Summer Spectacular, held each year in July/August. The “Derby” part of the competition is for four-year-olds, and the “Classic/Challenge” is for five- and six-year-olds. In two back-to-back incredible runs in 2023, Sawyer won both the Derby and the Classic at this event.

 

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Cutting Horse Competition: Essential Lingo

Bubble (n.) - The bubble is the immediate area around the cow. Positioning a horse near the edge of a cow’s bubble can control their speed and direction.

Deep Cut (n.) - A deep cut requires going into the middle of the herd or deeper to cut a cow.

Draw (n.) - The draw is done before events to determine each competitor's position in the working order.

Staying Hooked (v.) - When the rider continues to work their second cow for a longer period of time until the buzzer, rather than cutting a third cow to show a level of risk and commitment.

Working Advantage (n.) - When the horse remains parallel to the cow with its head next to the cow's shoulder. This positioning gives the horse the advantage of being able to stop the cow or turn quickly enough to block a change of direction.

 

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Cutting Horse Competition: Essential Vehicles and Tires

Pickup trucks are the go-to vehicle for towing horse trailers to and from competition. The ideal vehicle for you will highly depend on a math equation. It’s all about how much you, your cargo, your horses, and your trailer weigh, stacked against your vehicle’s weight ratings and towing capacity. When browsing vehicles, pay close attention to these important G acronyms.

GVWR – Gross Vehicle Weight Rating The GVWR is the maximum amount of loaded weight allowed on your vehicle, including your trailer’s tongue, your passengers, and all cargo. 

GCVWR – Gross Combined Vehicle Weight Rating The GCVWR is the maximum weight allowed for the combination of your fully loaded tow vehicle and trailer.

GAWR – Gross Axle Weight Rating The GAWR is the amount of weight that your tow vehicle’s axles can safely carry. If you exceed this limit, you could put unnecessary stress on your truck’s axles and wear them out quickly.

 

On her Toyota Tundra, Sawyer runs the all-new BFGoodrich All-Terrain KO3 tire. This is a do-it-all tire, which packs excellent highway performance with some incredibly tough off-road technologies that have won Baja races again and again. It’s all-weather, three-peak mountain certified, and maintains traction in muddy and snowy conditions. For equestrian competitors towing more than a couple of horses, another great tire option is the BFGoodrich HD-Terrain T/A KT tire. Purpose-built for heavy-duty trucks in commercial settings, this tire is prepared for the heaviest, toughest jobs in the equestrian space. It’s off-road capable, all-weather, and also maintains traction in muddy and snowy conditions. Both these tires are up to the task of towing your team to equestrian glory.   

Cutting Horse Competition: The Essential Guide


To learn more about cutting horse competition and how to get started, check out the National Cutting Horse Association website. And to keep up with Sawyer’s cutting work, follow her on Instagram or TikTok.

 

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